Future of work: jobs may not have stable hours, holiday pay or pensions

18 Nov 2016 • by Changeboard Team

Jobs of the future may not have the same perks that UK employees have come to expect, the work and pensions secretary has said.

In a speech at the Reform think-tank Damian Green said the rise of contingent working in the emerging ‘gig economy’ could result in no stable hours, holiday and sick pay, or pensions. Green described the developments as “exciting”.

Green added: “Just a few years ago the idea of a proper job meant a job that brings in a fixed monthly salary, with fixed hours, paid holidays, sick pay, a pension scheme and other contractual benefits.

“But the gig economy has changed all that. We’ve seen the rise of the everyday entrepreneur. People now own their time and control who receives their services and when.

“They can pick and mix their employers, their hours, their offices, their holiday patterns. This is one of the most significant developments in the labour market. The potential is huge and the change is exciting.”

This positive sentiment towards the changing face of work arrangements is particularly interesting following the decision made by an employment tribunal that Uber drivers should be treated as employees, entitling them to many of the rights Green said may be lost.